Wiley-Blackwell Christianity and Contemporary Politics: The Conditions and Possibilities of Faithful Witness

Review “I confess I did not think this book could be written. But it can be done because Bretherton has done it. He has written this marvelous book that engages the complex theoretical issues necessary to develop a constructive theological politics without losing sight of concrete social challenges associated with community organizing, immigration, and consumerism. Bretherton has set a new standard in Christian political reflection.” —Stanley Hauerwas, Duke Divinity School "Sophisticated, erudite, deeply insightful, and written with a passion born out of political engagement. Bretherton pushes the field of political theology into fresh pastures ... This book will serve many, not just political theorists and theologians." —Gaving D'Costa, University of Bristol"Luke Bretherton has provided us with the first fully-fledged theological theory of community-organising. It is a sparkling performance and heralds a new era in which communitarianism, virtue-ethics and faith-based social reflection are likely to make a real social, economic and political impact. Judging from the intellectual and practical energy displayed by this treatise, this new global phase may well have its fulcrum in London." —John Milbank, University of Nottingham Product Description Congratulations to Luke Bretherton on winning the 2013 Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological Writing for Christianity and Contemporary Politics!Relations between religious and political spheres continue to stir passionate debates on both sides of the Atlantic. Through a combination of theological reflection and empirical case studies, Bretherton succeeds in offering timely and invaluable insights into these crucial issues facing 21st century societies. Explores the relationship between Christianity and contemporary politics through case studies of faith-based organizations, Christian political activism and welfare provision in the West; these case studies assess initiatives including community organizing, fair trade, and the sanctuary movement Offers an insightful, informative account of how Christians can engage politically in a multi-faith, liberal democracyIntegrates debates in political theology with inter-disciplinary analysis of policy and practice regarding religious social, political and economic engagement in the USA, UK, and continental EuropeReveals how Christians can help prevent the subversion of the church – and even of politics itself – by legal, bureaucratic, and market mechanisms, rather than advocating withdrawal or assimilationEngages with the intricacies of contemporary politics whilst integrating systematic and historical theological reflection on political and economic life Review “A deeply hospitable book, which is rooted in evangelical orthodoxy, but is clearly open to public dialogues and unafraid to speak within them in its own accent … [Bretherton’s] account of listening as a Christian political practice is outstanding and inspiring. This is a very fine book, which deserves the attention and engagement of the practical theological community.”  (International Journal of Practical Theology, 19 July 2012)“My hope is that the ideas contained here will not remain in the academy but will provide  momentum for a challenging Christian encounter with the issues and injustices of our political and social context.”  (Modern Believing, 1 April 2012)"[Bretherton] establishes himself in this book as a leading figure in political theology by giving a profound synthetic account of political theory and theology." (Church Times, 2010)"I'll be giving Christianity and Contemporary Politics to my graduate students and others seeking to become authors and academics. It is a model of the kind of book a scholar should be looking to write." (Christian Century, June 2011)"This is a wonderful book, perhaps the best book on contemporary Christianity and politics in liberal nation-states I have read. It is both based in concrete practices and theoretically aware.